Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, June 24, formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral and burial ceremonies of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to media reports.
The ceremonies, postponed due to the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, are scheduled to take place from July 4 to July 9.
Funeral ceremonies to begin on July 4
The programme will commence at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex, where Khamenei’s body will lie in state. Public processions are planned in Tehran and the holy city of Qom, while memorial prayers will be held in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.
Khamenei will be laid to rest on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his hometown in northeastern Iran. Authorities expect millions of mourners to participate in the events.
The former supreme leader died on February 28 after leading the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.
India expresses condolences
Following Khamenei’s death, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and signed the condolence book on behalf of the Government of India.
Earlier this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where he held talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and met Prime Minister Modi.
India and Iran have maintained longstanding political, economic and cultural ties, with regular engagement on bilateral and regional issues.
Regional delegations expected
Iran has extended invitations to several countries, particularly regional partners and neighbouring states. Delegations are expected from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, China and a number of Central Asian nations.
India has previously participated in major state events in Iran. Following the death of former president Ebrahim Raisi in 2024, New Delhi sent a delegation led by then vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar to attend the funeral ceremonies. Later that year, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari represented India at Pezeshkian’s inauguration in Tehran.
The funeral is expected to bring together political leaders, diplomats and religious figures from across the region for one of Iran’s most significant state ceremonies in recent years.
